Friday, June 29, 2012

Yeah baby that's right, 4 years. Holy cow times goes by so fast. I remember when you were in the middle of proposing to me in front of the Christis and I had no idea what you were doing so I turned to leave. lol Remember babe? We have worked on things since then though, we are good now.

The morning started off amazingly, around 8 I woke up on my own (meaning no yells of "mommy" from Andrew or "I am hungry" from Isaac). It was so nice but also weird at the same time. I came out into our dining room and there were roses in a vase on our table with Kneaders french toast waiting for me. Austin had gotten up like he was going to work but actually went all the way to Provo and back to get me Kneaders. It was amazing. The best part of the morning though was the fact that the boys slept in until 9 and 9:30! Yeah, I can't even tell you how long it has been since Austin and I had breakfast alone together. We almost didn't know what to do with ourselves. I think the last time was last summer when Austin surprised me with the bed and breakfast. Oh the little things we start to appreciate after having kids. Then after that we went to Walmart and Austin took the kids while I went to pick our fabric for a car seat canopy for our little girl. It was so nice to shop without having to rush with the kids. Then after that my sister Sarah came over and watched the boys so we could go out. We went to the Macaroni Grill and then Burlington Coat Factory to look at strollers. lol I know still doing kids stuff on our anniversary. The best part about our evening though was the dessert! We went to Chilies and decided to try their molten lava cake that Kadi and Mitch are always talking about. I got a pecan chocolate chip pie instead, just for some variety. So, did Austin like the molten lava cake? Well, if you consider that we sat down, ordered, ate, paid, and were walking to the car all within 15 minutes then yes. He LOVED IT! So much so that the next day he said that was all could think about. He literally scarfed it down, then started on mine. I couldn't believe he could eat that fast because usually when he is eating cheesecake or something I get so annoyed at how he savers it for so long that I stick my fork in it to get him to start eating. Not this though, he said it was because he had to eat it when it was all warm and if he'd had taken his time it would't have been the same. lol.So thank you Kadi and Mitch, I don't think Austin will ever be the same.

34 weeks along

Here we are eating at the Macaroni Grill. I think we liked the cocktail drink and the bread they bring out at the beginning the best.

Last weekend our little family went camping with the Howard's, Josh and Ally, and Jared and Sereen. It was a lot of fun to be outside enjoying some fresh air with great company. I was so glad everyone was able to make it. The kids loved throwing dirt, rocks, and sticks while the adults enjoyed lounging around the camp fire and yelling at Isaac and Rhys to come back from, and I quote "It's okay mom, we are exploring the forest." Even though it was a pretty quick weekend trip we still had lots of fun. Next time we will have to go for two or three days but being 34 weeks pregnant at the time I was okay with a short camp out this year. Especially because all 4 times we have gone camping I have been pregnant, next summer I swear to go camping and not be pregnant. lol I already made Austin promise. lol

I love love love this picture of Andrew. His smile is so genuine and adorable.

Helping Dad out with the tent.

"cheese"

"cheese" with mom

Cousins! I love how in these pictures and even in the video of these boys Preston's face stayed exactly the same.

"cheese" with Preston

Okay so I am so mad right now because I had the cutest/ funniest video of the three of these boys talking and saying cheese but my blog won't let me upload it. Curse you aquablog!

Andrew absolutely loves to climb now. I don't ever remember Isaac really climbing on things until recently but Andrew has picked up on it very early. He will climb up on the table, chairs or couch arms, then stand up and look at me because he knows he is not suppose to be climbing on things. See the pictures.

Climbing.

Standing, balancing, and looking for me to tell him to get down.

I love this picture. He is just chilling on the couch with his arm on the arm rest watching a movie. lol So cute.

For two weeks in June, Andrew had been sick with a viral infection. It was so tedious to try to get rid of because one day he would be miserable and the next he would act perfectly fine. Finally though, during the last 5 days of those two weeks he started getting a temp and would not eat a thing. I mean literally; we even tried syringing liquids into his mouth but he would throw it up 30 seconds later. So after a priesthood blessing we decided to take him to the ER to get an IV for some fluids. It was really hard to see my baby get pinned to the bed and poked but it was for his own good. All the nurses kept saying he was a fighter and my only response to that was, " why do you think we are here?" I know by now how to take care of sick babies but you can only do so much when they throw everything up. He looked pretty bad too, he was very red, flushed and swollen when we first got there and had a temp of 103.5. After about 3 hours of fluids though, he was a completely different baby. He started eating some wheat thins I had brought and started playing games with me. I was so relieved. A wonderful surprise to all of this was that my family came in town a day early and all of them came and visited him in the hospital. They came at the right time when we were just about to be discharged so he was in a great mood. He had the fullest diaper I had ever changed on him that night, it was a relief.

These pictures obviously were taken when he was doing better. At first he wouldn't let me put him down but in these he was eating and drinking.

This video is of Isaac and Andrew having a conversation while Isaac was on the toilet. It was too cute. To all of Isaac's Grandma's, make sure you watch the very end.

Happy Father's Day Austin! You are the best Dad in the world for our little boys I definitely got more then I bargained for when we got married. I hope our boys will be just like you one day when they are fathers themselves.

This picture was taken after church on Father's Day. The boys are holding tie cards they made in nursery and Austin is holding a plaque the boys and I made that says "You're the Greatest Dad in the World, Hands Down." It took Austin a minute to understand why their hand prints were upside down but once he got it he loved it.

At the beginning of the month Grandpa and Grandma Wade were in town for an afternoon so our family and Jared and Sereen got to spend some time with them. The last time we saw them was at Jared and Sereen's wedding so it was nice to catch up. Isaac really enjoyed getting to know them and for several days after our visit he kept asking for "Grandpa Wade? and Grandma Wade?" It was too cute. I am glad our boys got to know them even if it was for a short time. In these pictures the Grandma Wade bought the boys ice cream cones, Andrew got so messy.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

From June 2nd to the 10th Springville had their annual Art City Days celebration. Each day of the week there were several activities you could attend or contests you could enter. For our little family, it was a time for fun and lots of new activities. So on Monday, the boys and I went to the library where they were having a teddy bear tea party. We got to bring blankets, our favorite stuffed animals, and wear our pj's. The library had fun skits, story telling, crafts, and treats for the kids. It was so fun. This is a picture of Isaac wearing his sheep ears that he made, he also got to jump over a little gate while pretending he was a sheep. You can't hear him obviously but he was saying "baa" as I took this picture.

The next several pictures are at the Springville swimming pool on Tuesday. During the Arts City week the pool was doing a rubber ducky activity and giving away free popsicles and popcorn. The boys loved picking their own ducks out and eating the popsicles. What I will never forget about this activity was that it was the first time Isaac swam without having us hold him. It was incredible. Yes, he had a floatie on but the fact that he would just swim without being attached to one of us was a huge milestone.

See, we aren't anywhere near him! What a big boy!

Andrew has decided that he actually likes saying "cheese" now to the camera. You will see him with his head tilted, mouth opened, and eyes wide in several pictures to come. It is his new thing. (see video)

These floaties have been so great for swimming. We highly recommend them. It was a fight at the start to get them on but once they realized they could float with them, they really started liking them.

"Cheese"

On Wednesday our little bunch went to check out the vendors and booths at the fair grounds. It also just happened to be one ticket per ride on that day so we let the boys experience their first carnival rides. They didn't react much, or at all but it was still fun for Austin and I. It also had to be one of the scariest days of my life as well. When we fist arrived at the carnival I went to the restroom and Austin went to the ticket booth with the boys. When he got back I didn't even think to look in the stroller so we head over to the booths and started looking at all of the neat stuff they were selling. After about 15 or 20 booths and about 15 minutes Austin turned to me and said, "Where is the baby?" I thought he was talking about our little girl inside of me so I just brushed it off but then he said it again and pointed to the empty seat next to Isaac in the stroller. Immediately my heart dropped from my chest and I started freaking out! How long had Andrew been missing for? Where was he? A carnival? Really, of all the places to loose your 18 month old. We instantly split up and retraced our path. I asked every one I saw and after 5 minutes of freaking out I had a group of people looking with me. Austin had gone back to the ticket booth and I kept searching the vendor booths. Of course by this time every horrifying thing possible was going through my mind about what could have happened to him. What seemed like eternity but I think was only about 15 minutes, Austin came back with a full stroller. I ran up to Andrew, picked him up and immediately started crying. I hadn't even realized it but I was also shaking terribly. I held him for a long time and I think he could tell something was wrong with me because he just looked at me and kept touching my nose. Austin said he found him next to the ticket booths where a man was holding his hand. The man told Austin that he saw this little boy walking around calling "mommy" out. He didn't want him to just wonder around so he kept him at the ticket booth with him and was about to get security. We are guessing Andrew just slipped out of his seat while Austin was talking to the ticket workers and just walked away. The shades on the stroller where covering them up so he didn't see Andrew slip right out.Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. That night I could not sleep. I just kept imaging my little Andrew walking around an insanely crowded carnival calling for me and me not being able to hear him or even know he was missing. Thank you Heavenly Father for watching out for our little family.

They did enjoy this train ride but their seat belts were so constricting that they were bent over like this the whole time trying to reach the steering wheels.

This flying one scared them to death. It would go up and down in slow motion but would also shake really fast every once in a while. Once the shaking started it was over, they both started crying and didn't stop till the ride was done. Austin and I were laugh at them the whole time, people probably thought we were horrible parents and that we were punishing them.

On Wednesday morning a friend in the ward and I took the kids to the art museum where they were doing a kids craft festival. Outside the museum there were probably 25 booths set up where kids could do a variety of crafts from sand painting and kites, to finger painting and wind chimes. It was so packed and busy that we actually only got around to the balloon stand, storing telling, and finger painting but it was still fun. I think if Austin were to have gone with me it would have been easier to do more activities but oh well. At least we got to be outside enjoying the sunshine.

Then on Thursday we went with the Howard's back to the carnival to eat some delicious scones and buy some adorable baby girl hair bows.

"Cheese" again.

Here are the kids waiting anxiously for the merry-go-round.

This jeep ride was by far their favorite ride. They aren't smiling in any of the pictures but I promise they were when the ride was going. All four of them loved having their own steering wheels.

Mommy and Andrew waiting for the next ride.

This is what Isaac looked like for a few minutes when he kept asking for food and I told him he had to wait.

Then here he is when the food arrived.

But of course not until after a prayer. What a good boy.

Family Picture at the Carnival!

Then came Saturday, the parade! Here Isaac and I were eagerly waiting for Andrew and Austin to get outside so we could start walking to the parade.

Trying to find a seat.

We met up with some friends when we were there. They saved my bacon by having brought grapes and cherries for the boys. Thanks guys.

I know, I am so paranoid about the sun. I have to have my shade, it comes with being so gosh darn white.

Our Springville motorcycle police did a little routine to start the show off. The boys loved that part.

Here is Isaac cheering at the police motorcycles.

Some of the floats threw candy for the kids. I too was also grateful for that because it kept Andrew in my lap for a little bit longer.

Here is Austin and Isaac fighting for some candy. It actually got pretty crowded with kids after awhile.

They also started throwing otter pops, I love parades, have I mentioned that? lol

Cosmo had to be there for sure!

Isaac loved this popcorn float. He really wanted to get down and run up to it to eat some popcorn, but I wouldn't let him. He settled for a picture with it instead.

The day we got engaged!

June 26th 2008

June 26th 2013

Austin and Liz

As of January 2014, both Austin and I are BYU graduates. Austin is currently working for Newline Interactive and I am enjoying being at home with our children. We are currently living in Dallas Texas, enjoying family living close on both sides.We have been blessed with 3 beautiful children and the next little firework will be exploding into our family on July 4th! We are so blessed and watched over by our Heavenly Father. We thank him every day for our eternal family.

A Happy.....

Austin & Elizabeth

family.....

Isaac

Continued.....

Andrew

Again.....

Emeri

Forever!!!

Oakley

Motherhood

Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he is supposed to be. And that, if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be.” - Joan Ryan